Papaver 'Central Park' Poppy is a perennial that blooms from late spring through summer, extending its charm with striking black seedpods. This long-lasting plant boasts large, 5- to 6-inch flowers, each featuring a velvety-black seed capsule encircled by purple stamens and satiny, lavishly ruffled petals drenched in a lavender-purple hue and highlighted at the base with dark purple. Each flower stands alone on a long, bristly stem, creating a show-stopping spectacle that lures bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds to your garden. Not only do they enhance your outdoor space, but they also make exquisite cut flowers for indoor display.
As a cultivar of Papaver orientale, also known as the oriental poppy, 'Central Park' displays a clumping, spreading habit of fuzzy, thistle-like grey-green leaves, lending an ethereal touch to the plant. Although stunning when showcased as individual specimens or container plants, poppies truly shine when grouped or massed in mixed beds and borders.
Cold hardy plants, oriental poppies prefer cooler summers and may require some light afternoon shade in hotter climates. They thrive in sunny spots with organically rich, fertile, medium moist, well-drained soil but do not tolerate drought or overly wet, poorly drained soils. Regular deadheading keeps your poppies in bloom. These flowers freely self-seed under suitable conditions, returning year after year, although new plants may vary. They also offer the added benefit of being deer resistant.
